And this is not only true of outward dangers, but especially in spiritual. God hath been gracious. He hath given Christ. ' How shall he not with him give us all things?' Rom. viii. 32. A Christian is in the favour of God now, how shall he be ■'■• so for ever '? He hath eternity, world without end, to comfort himself in, that God, as long as he is God, he hath com- fort. As long as he hath a soul, so long Jehovah, the living God, will be his God, both of his body and soul. He is the ' God of Abraham,' there- fore he will raise his body. He is the God ' that raiseth the dead,' and he will for ever glorify both body and soul in heaven.
Look which way he will, a Christian hath cause of much comfort. Why should he be dismayed with anything in the world ? Why should he not serve God with all the encouragement that may be, when he hath nothing to care for but to serve him ? As for matter of deliverance and protection, it belongs not to us, but to him. Let us do that that belongs to us, and he will do that that belongs to him, if ' we commit our souls to him as to a faithful Creator in well-doing; he hath delivered us, he doth deliver us, and he will deliver us, and preserve us to his heavenly kingdom.'
VERSE 11.
' You also helpinfj together by prayer fur us.' In these words the holy apostle sets down the subordinate means that God hath sanctified to con- tinue deliverance to his children. ' He hath delivered, he doth deliver, and he will deliver us for the time to come.' Was this confidence of St Paul a presumption without the use of means ? He will deliver us, ' you also helping together by prayer for us.' The chief cause doth not take away the subordinate, but doth estabhsh it. And though God be the great deUverer, and ' salvation belong to the Lord,' Ps. iii. 8, as the Scriptm-e speaks, salvation and deliverance it is his work ; yet notwithstanding he hath, not for defect of power, but for the multiplication and manifestation of his goodness, ordained the subordinate means of deliverance ; and as he will dehver, so he will deliver in his own manner and by his own means.
* Qu. 'notbe?'— G.
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178 COMMENTARY ON
He will deliver, but yet notwithstanding you must pray : ' you also helping together by prayer for us.'
The words have no difficulty in them, ' you helping together,' that is, you together joining in prayer with mo. I pray for myself, and you to- gether helping me by prayer, (rod will deliver me.
The points considerable in these words are these : —
First of all, that in the time of peril, or in the want of any benefit, the means to be delivered I'rom the one, and to convey the other, it is jnayer. God will do this, ' you praying.'
The second is this, that Ood's children can pray for themselvefi.
The third is, that notwithstanding, though they can pray for themselves, yet they require* the joint help of others, and they need the help of others.
The fourth is, that our own prayers, and the prayers of others joininfj all together, is a miyhty prevaiUntf means for the conveying of all good, and for the removing of any ill. . God will ' deliver me, you helping by your prayers.'
Doct. Prayer is a means to convey all good, and, to deliver from all ill.
Because God hath stablished this order, ' Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee,' Ps. 1. 15. He joins deliverance to calling upon him. SoinPs. xci. 15, a notable place; besides others. Indeed, the psalms are wondrous full in this kind. ' He shall call upon me, 'and I will answer him ; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honour him.' Mark it, ' He shall call upon me, and I will deliver him ; ' and more than so, for God's benefits are complete, he doth not only deliver, but he honours, ' I will deliver him, and advance him,' Ps. xci. 15. God doth not only deliver his children by prayer, but he ' delivers them from evil works, and preserves them to his heavenly kingdom.' He delivers them and advanceth them together. He doth not do his work by halves. ' The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry,' Ps. xxxiv. 15. His eyes are upon them, to see their miseries and wants. Aye, but though his eyes be open, his ears must be open too, to hear their cry, Tf his eyes were open to see their wants, if his ears be not open to hear their cry, his children might be miserable still.
Sometimes God delivers wicked men. He preserves them. But the preservation of a wicked man is but a reservation of him for future judg- ment, to feed him for the slaughter ; and that deliverance is not worth the speaking of. But for his children, his eyes are open on them, and his ears to hear their cry. As they be in misery that he sees them, so they must cry that he may hear them. God hath stablished this order. He will deliver, but prayer is the means.